Cellphone thief arrested in South Seattle after calling 911 to report being followed by victim

This week in shooting oneself in the foot, Seattle police arrested a woman in the Brighton neighborhood in South Seattle Saturday after she called to report someone following her.

The man had followed her off a Metro bus and accused her of stealing his cell phone, she told police.

Thing is, police say she really did it.

The woman’s 911 call came in about 4 p.m. shortly after callers reported a melee on a Metro bus. The woman said a man was following her down the street, accusing her of jacking his cell phone.

Cops responded to a gas station in the 6600 block of Marking Luther King, Jr. Way South, where they found the 20-year-old 911 caller with a bloody 21-year-old man.

The woman’s story indicated that she and her boyfriend were sitting next to the 21-year-old man on the bus when the 21-year-old man awoke from a nap and started accusing the couple of lifting his cell phone, police reports say. The 21-year-old man suddenly attacked the couple and followed them off the bus.

The bloodied 21-year-old, however, told police that he was listening to music on his cell phone with his eyes closed when the music suddenly cut out, according to Seattle police. He saw the couple next to him holding his phone and when he asked them to give it back, they punched him and kicked him in the head, reports say.

The 21-year-old chased the couple off the bus and as they couple approached the Brighton gas station, the male half of the couple ran off in a different direction.

The woman emphatically denied stealing the man’s cell phone until cops pointed out a cell phone-shaped bulge in her pocket.

Police searched the woman and found the victim’s phone and three grams of crack cocaine.

Officers booked her into King County Jail for investigation of robbery and drug possession. Detectives continue to seek her boyfriend.

Medics took the 21-year-old man to Harborview for treatment of bumps, bruises, cuts and scrapes.